Beers At Schneider’s of Capitol Hill

This was the closest RB listed beer store to our accommodation in DC and some afternoon I gave it a try. What a disappointment. I was looking for a imperial stout. Any imperial stout really. None. Not even one. All the 12 oz bottles and all the beers in cold were only sold in 6-packs. Some nice bombers though.

Ok place in the Capitol Hill area. Nothing has prices, which is annoying, and as usual in these situations it means things are expensive. A few interesting bombers, some six packs or cases. A few gems on the upper shelves.

Schneider’s, like Connecticut Ave Wine and Liquor, has a normal distributor then has a gray market distributor that will bring beers like Alesmith, Lost Abbey, etc into the store for a mega markup. But, if you are looking for Alesmith Old Numbskull, Wee Heavy, Speedway in the district, this place usually stocks it and is only a few blocks from the Capitol building. The store itself is very cramped, overwhelming, and staff off in space, and is 80% wine, 10% liquor, and 10% beer. They have an email list you can sign up for to hear about new beer stock, but I’ve never once gotten an email from them. Thankfully, you can now FOLLOW THEM ON TWITTER @Schneidersbeer. This is the only way to know what they have new in store beer wise. However, the tweeter only tweets about once a week. I also have a bit of a grudge against this place since I came in multiple times inquiring about Bourbon County Rare when it was about to be released and they acted like I was from outer space. Then a few days later, three of my friends got their "reserved" bottle of BCS Rare that I was told didn’t exist. That’s okay, I don’t need to ever come back to this store anyway. My closet has a much better selection.

Small shop off Mass Ave. that’s a short walk from Union Station. Focus is primarily wine and liquor, with a small beer selection. However, you can frequently find plenty of DC grey market beer plus Italian sours, Cantillon, one-offs from American breweries, other stuff. However, I’m pretty sure most of the stuff is snarfed up quickly by subscribers of their newsletter, so don’t expect very much of it to be there at any given time. Decent selection of six packs and bombers, with all the favorites: Mikkeller, JP, Founder’s, Bell’s, Southern Tier. Prices are dcent and comparable to other DC bottle shops. Overall, a good spot if you live/work nearby (I do), but I wouldn’t go out of your way for it.

Small place with an emphasis on wine and spirits. Beer selection is small but well chosen, with lots of turnover. Selection would be improved by a bigger selection of local stuff. Staff is abundant, friendly and helpful. DC is starved for good beer stores, so this is a good stop and only a short walk from Union Station.

Schneider’s is by far and away the best option for finding craft beer when on Capitol Hill, and is located just blocks from Union Station. A relatively small store that uses every bit of available space, you will have to contort and twist and turn and excuse yourself while perusing their narrow aisles, stocked to the brim with high quality wine, spirits, mixers, and (of course) beer. There are about three coolers dedicated to beer, and a decent amount of shelf space that is lined with bombers and 750s. Understand, though, that shelf space is limited and turnover can be quick. Nevertheless, one reason to shop here is that Schneider’s is among 3 or 4 places in the District that tend to get relatively rare stuff (such as offerings from Russian River, Cigar City, Alesmith and Port/Lost Abbey) that slips its way into DC due to our lax and unique distribution laws. Another reason to shop here is the staff, most importantly John, who, aside from being a really nice guy and great conversationalist, is also probably the most knowledgeable beer guy at any retailer in DC. My only complaint is that prices tend to be a few bucks more here than elsewhere in DC, even some of the good stores near Dupont Circle, which is generally a more expensive neighborhood. I stomach it for all the other benefits of the place and the proximity to my little row house, but it would be nice to see them drop their prices just a bit. I don’t mind paying $20 for Alesmith, all things considered, given that their stuff is so hard to come buy; but, if you’re quick, you can often find the same 750 for $17 or $18 elsewhere in the District.
UPDATE (4/19/2012) John has been gone from Schneider’s for some time, and, although this is still a fine bottle shop, it has dropped off somewhat. There are fewer rarities and more focus on the major micros you’d expect to see. There also seems to be less turnover. I’m going to have to downgrade this somewhat.

If you’re on Capitol Hill, it’s certainly worth a visit -- they’ve been around for years with their focus on wine/spirits, but recently they’ve been working on having a solid beer selection that rotates. They also have plenty of staff on hand should you require assistance.